Issue date
With a summer season of sailing stretching out in front of us, and the first regatta at Lake Ngaroto less than a week away, it is looking like it will be a great season. The New Zealand Hansa Class Association has decided to trial a “Traveller Series”, with 3 regattas (Napier New Year Regatta, MRP Taupo Regatta and the Nationals at Gulf Harbour) counting towards a sailor’s points. It is hoped that this will encourage more sailors to travel and increase attendance at regattas.
In New Zealand, sailing is a sport enjoyed by a huge number of people with an extremely diverse range of disabilities; however the number of sailors competing at more than local regatta level is relatively few.
Some of the most obvious reasons for this is cost, the difficulty of finding accessible accommodation, and either shifting boats around or leasing them locally to the regatta venue, but I would be pleased to hear from anyone who can add to this, or feels there are other barriers to competing.
While I sometimes envy competitive swimmers (packing a bathing suit is a lot easier than shipping a boat, even if swimming does need a greater level of fitness!), I wouldn’t have missed travelling to any of the regattas I have attended. Apart from all the really great friendships I have made, and the cool places I have been to, it is wonderful to sail in new places and conditions, against different sailors, and it has improved my skills as a sailor and competitor. While there have been low points (mostly gear failures), the highs, for example sailing past seals, have definitely outweighed them.
Apart from the personal gains, I believe the sport also gains when participation at regattas is higher. It increases the likelihood that clubs will continue to offer the opportunity to race, and helps reinforce the thought that sailing should be a Paralympic sport.
If you have experienced any barriers to participation, or have any suggestions on increasing participation, please email me.
